Lock washer



April 12, 1932. c, H LOUTREL 1,853,440

LOCK WASHER Filed Jan. 28, 1931 ECG-.11...

Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE I CYRUS H. LOUTREL, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY,.ASSIGNOR TO THE.NATIONAL LOCK WASHER COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ACORPORATION OFITEW JERSEY LOCK WASHER.

Application filed January 28, 1931. vSt arialtl'o. 511,896.

My invention relates to lock washers, but more particularly has reference to spring washers that are segments of a helixand are used in connection with bolts and nuts for the purpose of resiliently securing the splice- ,bars to the meeting ends of railroad rails.

The use of spring washers around the bolts and interposed between such bars and the securing nuts is so Well understood as to require no description or special comment herein, but difficulty is experienced in greasing or oiling the bolts and nuts so that they will not become corroded.

It is a common practice to essay this oiling or greasing or" the bolts and nuts, and, in fact, the entire rail joint, by means of an oiling machine running on the rails themselves, but when such a machine is not available, men walk along the track carrying pails of oil and brushes or brooms which are dipped in the oil and splashed against the joint, the nuts and bolts. In either of these processes it is unlikely that the oil would percolate between the washer and the bolt or between the washer and the splice-bar and run into the threads of the bolt. Therefore there is very apt to be an area of bolt threads that is not lubricated and is subject to corrosion.

It is the object of this invention to so equip the lock washer that, as the latter expands or contracts, due to heavy loads passing over the joint or to changes of tempera ture, the threads of the bolt will be lubricated.

This result is brought about by the formation of grooves or pockets within the inner edge of the washer, which, of course, is the edge that is adjacent the bolt, and filling these grooves or pockets with heavy oil or grease, or other suitable lubricant, so that the expansion or contraction of the washer above referred to, will cause the lubricant to flow sufiiciently so as to be transferred to the threads of the bolt.

In the accompanying drawings, which must be taken into consideration as a part of this description,

Figure 1 is a broken sectional elevation showing the assembly or" the splice-bars, rail web, bolt, lock washer and nut, the inner edge of the washershowing one form of my invention, I j Figure 2 s an elevation of aspring washer having a groove formedthroughout the H inner edge, such as is shownatFigure 1,

Figure 3 is a section, at the line 3-3 of Figure 2, 7

Fi ureset and 5 are viewssirnilar to Figure cant containing grooves.

Figure 6 is a broken elevation showing the inner edge of a lock washer with vertically disposed lubricant containing grooves, and

3, but showing modified forms of the lubri- Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but

showingseparate lubricant containing recesses or depressions that are not in the form of a groove. x

Similar numerals of reference will be used to denote like the drawings; In the construction shown at Figures 1, 2 and 3, the lubricant container is a circular groove 1 formed in the inner'edge 2 of the lock washer 3, while inFigure 4 an angular groove 4 is shown in said edge. In Figure 5 the inner edge of the washer is concaved as shown at 5. In Figure 6 spaced vertical lubricant containing grooves 6 are shown, while in Figure 7, depressions or cups 7 are formed in suitable locations in the inner edge of the washer.

, Thus it'will be noted that the invention is not limited to any special lubricant containing formations, the gist of this invention residing in the broad idea of providing a lock washer with lubricant containing parts that will automatically function to lubricate the threads of the bolt, and right in this connection I desire to state that, since, after the suggestions and manifest deduction afforded by my invention, it is quite within the range of mechanical skill to construct a washer especially adapted for the automatic lubrication of the bolt threads, I do not wish to be limited to any special formationor adaptation of a lock washer for the purpose of automatically lubricating parts that are associated with such washer in what are commonly known as track joints.

In the construction shown Figures 1, 2 and parts in theseveral figures of j 3 are preferred, since it is quite clear that less internal stress will be set up within the section itself if the inner edge of the washer is grooved in the center of its thickness.

31 The improvement hereinbefore described,

is an advantage so far as the actual construction of the washer is concerned, since the tempering process, it is undoubtedly true that the outer walls become heated first, and

1 theheat then progresses to the center of the I mass, and 'fagr'oove, such as is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, is introduced in the mass, the heat will be enabled to reach the center of the mass with more rapidity than would be the case were there solid metal where the grooves exists. In other words, there would Y be less delay in the penetration of the entire mass by the heat. It is believed that this is the first time that such a form of lock washer has been proposed in a track nutconstruction {to bring about the desired result.

' Also, it is desired that the cooling of the washers after they have been heated be effectedlas uniformly and promptly as possible, 7

and therefore, in the present structure, the cooling medium will act more uniformly and will result in a better job of hardening and a more uniformly hardened structure.

INha-tis claimed is i 1. In a lubricating device the combination with a splice bar, track bolt and nut, of .a spring washer around said bolt and interaposed between said bar and nut andhaving in .its inner edge a lubricant container.

2. A construction as in claim 1 further distinguished in that said containerconsists of a groove formed lengthwise of said edge.

3. A construction as in claim 1 with the ad- :dition that said container extends substan- 40 tially throughout the length of said edge and is in the central portion of the thickness of said edge.

4. In a lubricating device the combination with a threaded bolt, a nut driven on said-bolt and an object to be clamped by the action of said nut, of a spring washer surrounding'said bolt and confined between said obj e-ct and nut, and a lubricant carried by the inner edge of said washer and freely exposed adjacent said bolt.

5. In a lubricating device for a structure for railroad track oints comprising parts to be clamped, a threaded bolt extending through the railroad rail and said parts, and

a nut driven on said belt, a spring washer surrounding said bolt beneath said nut and carrying lubricant containing parts that are freely-exposed to said bolts, whereby the expansion and contraction of said washer will lubricate the threads of the bolts.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature hereto.

. 1. "CYRUS I-I. LOUTREL. 

